What could be more fun to discuss at the dinner table than dinner? For many families with young students in school, this often means peppering family meal conversations with current events.

Why not stir that up with a bit of delicious food history, as well? One thing people with curious palates soon find out is that they can learn the history, culture, politics and other characteristics of a place through its food, whether the destination is as close as another part of your own state or as far away as a distant country.

A good way for you and your kids to stay up-to-date on current events is to think about the location of one in the news, discuss it and the foods and recipes famous there. Plan quick meals based on them as well, like the Florida- and North Carolina-tinged ones below.

Helpful dishes like these also prove cooking can be easy, nutritious, economical, fun and fast. They take just 10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare. The creative combinations are delicious proof that everyone has time for tasty home cooking and, more importantly, the healthy family togetherness that goes along with it.

Another benefit: You effortlessly become a better cook, since there are no right or wrong amounts. These are virtually can't-go-wrong combinations, so whatever you - or your kid helpers - choose to use can't help but draw "wows."

Feast "Floribbean" style: With your kids, delve into the history of how Caribbean, Latin American and Cuban cuisine have majorly influenced what is now dubbed the "Floribbean" cooking style of Florida.

For a fun and easy taste, marinate your favorite cut of lean pork (often used in such recipes) in a combination of fresh lime juice and orange juice, oregano, garlic and freshly ground pepper. Cook it on both sides, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to an internal temperature of 145 F (or 160 F if ground) and serve in a thick roll topped with pickle spears and mustard.

Carry on about Carolina barbecue: To emulate those in North Carolina, where barbecue is king, why not experiment with making your own barbecue sauce?

In these particular parts, vinegar is often a hallmark. You can combine apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, ketchup and hot sauce, and, in a flash, have a taste that's gone back centuries.

To further get the feel - and scent - of the area, purchase packages of hickory chips to burn on your charcoal grill or smoker outdoors.

The upcoming Presidents Day holiday: If you want to give your kids a feel for what it was like for the very first First Family, check out from the library, purchase (current paperbacks are about $30) or read excerpts and recipes online from "Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery and Booke of Sweetmeats."

Page 2 of 2 - There are more than 500 family recipes handed down from Elizabethan times. At dinnertime, discuss the ingredients that differ from and/or are the same as today and what this means regarding history and culture. Have a Martha Washington cooking contest for Presidents Day dinner.

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-high heat. Pat pork dry, and season with salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, and then grill pork chops, covered, turning over once, until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes total, and it reaches an internal temperature of 145 F. Serve drizzled with some vinaigrette, and with the remainder on the side.

Yields 4 servings.

- Adapted from Epicurious.com

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook."